Package thief caught on camera

"Porch Pirates" are now being heard of year-round - thieves stealing packages right off your doorstep. In this case, ...

Posted: Apr 4, 2018 11:29 AM

Updated: Apr 4, 2018 11:29 AM

"Porch Pirates" are now being heard of year-round - thieves stealing packages right off your doorstep. In this case, one woman caught the thieves bold move on camera.

Meg Peterson is a victim of theft, learning that front door thieves will strike at any time of day.

"It's just kind of scary to think that there's people out there that don't care and will do anything to get what they want," said Peterson.

Peterson has a doorbell camera. During the day, it's not uncommon to get a notification that there's been movement near her front door. It was what she saw Thursday that caught her by surprise.

"Sure enough, I checked the Ring and like watched the video that was recorded and it was that guy stealing all three of them and just ran off," said Peterson.

Peterson was expecting several Amazon packages to be delivered. She said what was stolen, would not be worth much to the thief.

"The word search and the crossword puzzle were for one of my best family friends who just was diagnosed with cancer and thought it would be good for him to have something to do during all the treatments and stuff," said Peterson.

What was even more unsettling for Peterson was how comfortable the thief was walking up to her home.

"There was a car that drove, was driving towards our house and so I think he was pretending like he knew our neighbor and just waiving so that the car wouldn't stop," said Peterson.

As the man walks up to Peterson's home, the doorbell camera gets a good look at the thief. That's why departments across the metro area are implementing surveillance video programs.

"It's a little bit quicker and easier than going door to door and knocking and saying, 'Hey, do you have an outside security camera,'" said Capt. Brad Robbins with the Leawood Police Department.

Leawood police started up the Capture Program. Residents or business owners who have surveillance camera systems can register their devices with police. Right now, Leawood Police have nearly 900 systems registered with the program.

"We're just collecting a database, that's all it really is, it's a database that says that they have the video and they can assist us in protecting the community," said Robbins.

A number of police departments across the metro area have implemented their own surveillance video program. Kansas City Police, Independence, Lenexa and Prairie Village all have a program up and running.